


Behind Barbed Wires

by mondays_tune



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Angst, Berlin Wall, Cold War, Drama, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gay Panic, German au, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Internal Conflict, Iron Curtain, M/M, Pen Pals, Protective Dean Winchester, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Surveillance, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:01:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28736913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mondays_tune/pseuds/mondays_tune
Summary: In Summer 1986 Dean Winchester visits his brother Sam who has been studying abroad in Berlin, Germany. Over the course of his stay, they take a trip with Sam's friends to the Baltic Sea. What Dean didn't expect back then, was that he'd meet a weird guy with incredible blue eyes named Castiel. What kind of name is that even? But after a certain event they become friends, even so far that they stay in contact after Dean returns back to Kansas. But at these times you had to be careful who you write to. Who your friends are. Two years later Castiel has disappeared. And Dean has a decision to make.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Welcome to my 1980s Germany-AU! I'm a little history buff and I find these times so fascinating where Berlin was still separated by the wall. Where Germany was divided in two countries, one of freedom and one of terror and fear. I hope you'll like it!

_**August 1986.** _

The sun was bright and the sky blue. Dean Winchester stared out of the window of the roaring whirring airplane that currently flew him over the Atlantic ocean. He couldn’t hide his amazement at the view of the white clouds flying by in a blur. This is what the world looked like from above, this is what heaven would like if he were a believer. But he was not and so he just admired the beauty of nature. The machinery whirred around him and there were 7 hours left until they finally landed in West-Berlin. But Dean couldn’t sleep. First he was still mesmerized by the sight of the blue ocean beneath him, glittering in the sunlight, and second he was excited to see his little brother again. It’s been over 6 months since Sammy decided to study abroad for two semesters funded on a scholarship. When Dean first heard of his little, yet-too-tall-brother talking excitedly about his plans, his world broke down. Sammy was the only family he had left and now he was leaving him. But as the weeks went on and the date of Sammy’s departure neared, Dean slowly came to terms with it, even working part-time at Bobby’s to save up money for his brother’s stay. And now 6 months passed and despite his fear of heights, he was now sitting in an airplane, flying over the sea. Although he was a bit nervous and didn’t quite trust the machinery, the excitement was bigger.

Dean smiled. His eyes followed the racing clouds as he thought about Sammy and his short-term stay in a country that he knew nothing about except the fact that it is in Europe. The next hours passed by in a trance and suddenly Dean was jolted out of his thoughts by the rattling and shaking of the machine. A mechanic voice announced: “We are soon landing in Berlin-Tempelhof. Please fasten your seatbelts and remain in your seats.”  
Dean’s heart took on a higher beat and he felt fear rising up his throat although he knew they were safe, that this plane wasn’t crashing, that it’s all part of a routine. Yet he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about the fact that he was trapped inside a huge metallic cage a few thousand miles up in the air. So he closed his eyes and tried to breathe slowly. In and out. In and out.  
It helped a little and as soon as he felt the plane landing ruggedly on the ground he opened his eyes and exhaled in relief. They’ve landed. The flight was over.

* * *

  
Within an hour he left the plane with shaky legs and made his way to the baggage carousel. As soon as he picked up his ragged duffle bag which was a gift from his father’s he made his way to the exit, looking out for the familiar figure of his brother. It didn’t take him long. Bless Sammy for his size. A grin broke out in Dean’s face as he walked towards Sam who was still looking around. “Hiya, Sammy!”, he called and watched his brother turn around. As Sammy finally caught sight of his older brother, he started grinning from one cheek to another and it was infectious. Dean felt his grin getting wider as he nearly broke into a run and hugged his little-not-so-little brother tight, feeling his lanky body after so long. Sam returned the hug probably just as tightly and they separated with a laugh. “Dude, did your hair get even longer?”, Dean commented with raised eyebrows as he finally took in the sight of his brother standing in front of him. Sam laughed again and shook his head in disbelief. “It’s good to see you too, Dean”, he replied. “Come on, let’s go home.”  
Dean grinned broadly and pat Sam’s back as he nodded. “I could use a shower. Feelin’ really greasy after that flight.” Sam snorted in reply. “I can smell that, Dean.”, he said in a teasing tone as they walked towards the exit. Dean threw back his head and stared at his brother increduously. “Excuse me?!”, he said and they continued bickering the whole way to the subway. Dean didn’t even really notice much of his surroundings as he was much too focused on the sight of his brother.

He only noticed as they walked down the stairs to the subway station and then looked around. The air was stale and the lights were dim. He saw a lot of people rushing along as the yellow subway drove into the station. The walls were tiled in a darker orange and graffitis were sprayed on all over the place. Only now he really realized he was in a different country and stopped, trying to take it all in. “Dean, are you okay?”, he heard Sam saying on his right, tearing him out of his paralysis. Dean shook his head and smiled at his brother. “Yeah, dude. I didn’t think Berlin was this full of people though.”, he replied in a light tone. Sam just raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Okay, well.”, he cleared his throat and stepped forward. “It was difficult for me at first, too. I mean, we both haven’t really been in a city this big yet. But you get used to it.”, Sam explained and Dean nodded slowly as he followed his brother down the stairs. Dean was still taking in his surroundings of the strange city as the subway rushed in and startled him. Sam gave him a look and chuckled, stepping in.

The ride to Sam’s place was short. He lived in the southwest of Berlin, in an orderly area with a lot of older buildings. Dean couldn’t help but admire the architecture as he followed Sam along the streets. He hadn’t seen houses like this before, huge, tall, yet somehow beautiful. Some were white, some were red, some were blue. Most of them had a lot of detail, which, as Sam explained, was customary back then before the first World War. They stopped in front of a huge red door and Sam fumbled with his keys. The door was heavy as they opened it and stepped in. A few stairs up and they entered his apartment. It was small, yet the rooms were high and gave the whole place a sense of free space. Sam showed Dean around, explaining everything. As the brothers entered the living room, Dean had to smile. The whole place just felt like Sam. There were books everywhere, neatly stacked in bookshelves. A huge desk stood on one wall next to the two big windows. Late-afternoon sunlight was streaming in and wrapped the whole room in a warm, soft glow. The rays fell right on an old, worn couch which had the color of pine trees. “This is where you’re gonna need to sleep for now, Dean. I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to get a guest bed yet.”, Sam said with an apologetic look in his face. “Are you kidding, man? I’ve slept on worse, you know that!”, Dean replied with a scoff, dropped his duffle bag and dumped himself right onto the couch. “Man, I’m tired!”, he said, suppressing his yawn. The journey to Berlin drained more energy than he thought. He heard Sam chuckle. “Alright, Dean. Take a nap. Call me if you need something.”, his brother said and Dean could only nod, before sleep took him into its warm, dark arms. 

* * *

When Dean woke up, the room was set in darkness. He could hear traffic noises from a little distance as he stretched and stood up. His whole body felt stiff and greasy as he walked towards the light that was shining through the door frame. Damn, he really needed a shower.  
“Hey, Sammy.”, Dean said as he entered the kitchen, where he found his little brother crouched over some books. Sam turned around and smiled at Dean. “Hey. Sleep well?”, he asked, receiving a shrug and yawn. “I gotta shower, man. I’ll be right back.”, Dean replied grimacing. Now he could smell himself too. Which was definitely a sign. Sam snorted and nodded. “Take what you need.”, he replied and then turned back to his books. Dean rolled his eyes but smiled at the sight of his bookworm-brother. He walked to the bathroom and stepped under the shower. The water was pleasantly hot and he sighed in bliss. Now he had some time to think. It was so good to see his little brother again, but he was a bit startled by the fact he was in a completely different country now with strange language, architecture and probably food too. At the thought of food his stomach started to grumble and Dean sighed. Hopefully Sammy didn’t cook up some veggie shit or something. A few minutes, or maybe even more, later he turned off the water and dried himself up.

Now freshly cleaned he went back to the kitchen and his stomach growled even more at the smell. Sam was standing at the stove and was currently frying something. As he heard his brother’s steps he turned around and grinned. “Hey. I thought you might be hungry so I figured to cook you some burgers. You know. To not scare you away.”, he said mockingly and turned back to the deliciously smelling patties. Dean’s face lit up and he started to grin. “Awesome! I’m starving!”, he said and planted himself at the small table on the wall opposite of the stove. The kitchen was small, smaller than most kitchens Dean had ever seen, but to be fair, it was an apartment and not a white-picket-fence-house like in America. The brothers chatted casually while Sam was finishing the burgers, catching up on their lives each in Kansas and Germany. Dean told Sam about the one time he pissed Bobby off when one of his female visitors was strolling around naked in the house which made Sam laugh. In return Sam told him about his new life here in Berlin, how the school was going and of his friends. Dean was surprised and relieved to hear his little brother has adjusted so well. When Sam put the plate with a steaming hot burger in front of Dean, he dug in right away ignoring the mocking commentary of his brother that he really should take care of his cholesterol levels. “Dude, this is so good!”, Dean sighed with a full mouth which earned an exasperated look from Sam who’d stacked his burger with a ridiculous sum of vegetables. He finished his burger within a few minutes, making himself another one, despite the accusing looks he got from his younger brother. Dean had missed Sam’s cooking just too much and he wouldn’t waste the opportunity.

After dinner they cleaned up the kitchen and moved to the living room to sit on the couch with a refreshing beer. Sam tried to teach him a bit German, but all Dean could manage was “Hello” and “Thanks”, despite Sam’s best efforts. “Dude, you really need to know a bit when you want to move around here.”,Sam said frustrated and Dean rolled his eyes. “Why do I need to learn it when you’re around anyway?”, he replied to which Sam didn’t find a logical answer. Dean marked this as one of the rare triumphs in his mental book and grinned. Sam scoffed and took another sip from his beer. Then he suddenly straightened himself and cleared his throat, looking at Dean. “You know, I forgot to ask you something.”, he began and Dean turned his head to look at this lanky brother in interest. “Well, I told you about some of my friends. You remember Gabriel? His parents have a second house at the Baltic Sea and he invited us all to spend a week there. You wanna come? They wont mind.”, Sam asked and his eyes went all big. Dean smiled at the typical puppy look only his brother excelled at. “Sure, man. I mean, a week? At the sea? Why do you even ask? Besides, I’m curious to meet your friends. I mean, that Jess girl you told me about? You sure there isn’t anything going on?”, he replied in a teasing tone, laughing as a blush crept over Sam’s cheeks. The younger cleared his throat before nodding. “Okay, then I’ll tell Gabriel. Actually, we wanted to depart soon - maybe day after tomorrow? We’re all on summer break anyway so we’re flexible.” - “Sure, man. You can show me around here then first!” Dean felt excitement about the plans now. First he’d discover an European capital with his favourite person in the world and then he’d get to see the sea for the first time close. He’d even meet Sammy’s friends! To be honest, he was quite curious about them, wanting to know if they are good enough for Sammy (which, to be fair, is quite an unreachable standard). They continued talking until late in the night. At some point around 3 am Sam kept yawning constantly and rubbing his eyes so Dean shooed him off to bed.

* * *

When he was alone in the living room again, Dean stared out of the window, watching the empty street beneath him. His mind kept him awake with the jet lag and the upcoming days and when the sun rose up and the streets slowly filled with people, he didn’t feel tired at all. He decided to look in the kitchen for some coffee. A while later Sam trotted into the kitchen, yawning loudly, probably woken up by the clanking and rustling of Dean searching for that damned coffee. “Jeez, Sam - Where the hell do you have your coffee?!”, he moaned, shutting one of the drawers shut. Sam flinched at the loud noise and groaned, showing Dean where he’d hidden the coffee (exactly in that last cabinet Dean hadn’t peeked in yet!”). Two cups of steaming hot coffee and a breakfast later they decided to head out, so Sammy can play the guide and Dean will tease him for being such a nerd. But actually, he was excited to see the city his brother was living in now. 

The city he knew little to nothing about but the fact it had a wall that separated two countries. 


	2. Ocean Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't beta-read so please forgive any typos or grammatical stuff ;w;

Berlin was huge. That’s the first thought Dean had if someone would ask him about the city. 

There was this huge shopping street with an unpronounceable name (at least for Dean!) where a lot of rich shops were lined next to each other. Apart from that the city had several parks and cafes, people were sitting outside, eating ice-cream or they were taking a walk, playing with their children, cycling and so on. Dean liked the lively, easy-going atmosphere of the city and slowly he understood Sam’s decision to stay here for a while. What he didn’t like was the fact that the Germans apparently didn’t know pie - he found out when they were eating lunch at a cafe. Sammy gave him an apologetic look as he grudgingly stabbed his strawberry cake with the fork. He would’ve never admitted it out loud, but the cake was pretty good. After their lunch they made their way to the Wall because Dean really wanted to see what it was like being so close to the border between the Eastern and the Western world. It’d be the closest he’s ever been to the Soviet Union. Sam wasn’t exactly comfortable with the idea but he would never deny his brother. When Dean saw the Wall for the first time, he at first felt a bit disappointed. He’d imagined it as a huge, thick concrete border guarded by soldiers. Instead the Wall was smaller, maybe 10 feet and no spot of concrete could be seen. It’d been sprayed on in so many colors showing paintings, signatures, powerful demands. On the other side though... he could see two watchtowers along the wall. Soldiers stood on there, carrying heavy guns. That was the moment Dean realized how different the West and East were. He wondered what life was like over there, if there are so many people guarding the Wall on that side. Did it feel like a prison?   
Sam explained him a little about the history of the wall, how it was built in a whole night and drew a visible border between the two countries, but Dean barely listened, keeping his eye on those soldiers on the other side. The whole place left him with unease although he knew he was safe.

* * *

The next day Sam showed him a few of his favorite places and of course, his university. They laughed and talked, ate at some restaurant and Dean teased him relentlessly for his nearly perfect German. Time went by so fast that Dean was surprised when it was already late in the evening when they returned to Sam’s apartment. The sun had almost sunk down and soaked the sky in hues of violet and orange. That’s one of the things I’ll miss, Dean thought. He’d never seen as beautiful sunsets as here in Berlin. The so-called Golden Hour left the whole city in a warm glow and softened the otherwise harsh edges of the buildings. The first time Dean saw the city like this he felt an ethereal atmosphere that gave him joy and peace. 

The past few hours he and Sam were sitting in the park, watching the sundown for hours in comfortable silence, enjoying the presence of each other. Dean felt sort of in a trance and he felt as if it couldn’t get better than it’s already been. Tomorrow they’d drive to the sea and Dean would meet Sammy’s friends. When they arrived back in Sam’s apartment, Sam called Gabriel who promised them to pick them up around 7 am if he doesn’t snooze his alarm and that the “kiddo” should buy him a huge cake for the drive. Dean frowned at that but Sam just scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Gabe. And pick us up, 7 am sharp.”, he replied and Dean could hear laughter on the other side of the line. After they hung up and Sam saw Dean’s raised eyebrows he chuckled. “Don’t worry, Gabe’s pretty alright for a rich guy. He just can be a bit annoying sometimes.” Dean didn’t say much and just kept staring at Sam as if he doubted everything. 

“Ah.” Sam gave Dean a bitchface which made Dean break out in laughter. “Dude, I’m just kidding. I mean, they’re your friends, right? They are insane enough to hang out with you, so kudos to them!” - “Dean!” - They kept bickering and talking in Sam’s living room until Dean yawned and decided to call it a night. Sam nodded, also yawning, and stood up. “Good night, Dean.”, he said at the door and Dean, who’d already made himself comfortable on the couch smiled. “Night, Sammy.”

* * *

The night, though peaceful, came to an abrupt end as Dean was woken up by loud knocking on the door. “Dean! We gotta get up!”, he heard Sammy’s voice and groaned. Why the hell did they have to get up this early? Grumbling, Dean staggered out of the “bed” and dressed himself, packing up his things. “Coffee, Sammy?”, he called hopefully and the reply came immediately. “Is in the kitchen. Better drink it now, they’re coming any minute!” Groaning Dean made his way to the small counter and poured himself a cup. “Remind me why we need to go at such an early hour?” he called to Sam who was probably braiding his hair in his room or whatever. Oh, that coffee was healing his sleep-deprived soul. "Dean,it's the _sea_!" He heard Sam's reply and snorted. Okay,yes, Sam did have a fair point. Dean didn't finish his coffee yet as suddenly the doorbell rang. He decided to stay in the kitchen and sip on his coffee while he heard Sam opening the door.

"Hey kiddos! Are you ready to head out? I hope you do have that cake for me!",a male voice called in a volume Dean _definitely_ wasn't awake enough for. Sam laughed and he heard the door close. The steps neared the kitchen so Dean raised his head, trying to seem as the tough cool older brother he'd hoped Sam had painted him as. A smaller guy with nearly as long hair as Sam's and mischievous amber eyes entered the room, followed by his younger brother. The guy, Gabriel, grinned and waved at Dean. "Hiya, older brother of Sam! Hope that coffee is helping.", he said, pointing at Dean's still half full mug. Sam sighed behind him and sent Dean an apologetic look. The older Winchester just raised his eyebrows at Gabriel. "Dude, you need to lower your voice. It's still morning.", he grumbled, already being irritated by the attitude of that guy. Gabriel laughed and then clapped in his hands. "Well, are you both ready or do we need to wait for that princess to finish his coffee?", He said grinning which earned a warning look from Sam and a glare from Dean. He gulped down his coffee ignoring the burn in his throat and stood up. "C' mon, let's go.", he said, looking at the other two men expectantly. Despite Gabriel's annoying demands for some candy the brothers grabbed their bags and left the flat. When they exited the House Gabriel led them to a mini-bus which looked relatively new, but Dean could see that Gabriel didn't exactly take care of the car. It had smudges and some scratches and if Dean were the owner he'd already be working on it. As they walked to the bus Dean noticed two women standing beside it, apparently waiting for them. Typical Sammy. He's exactly the guy who'd be a woman's best friend, exchanging hair products or something.

"Took you long enough!", one of the two ladies called to them with a huge grin on her face. She had bright red curly hair on chin-length and brown eyes, wearing shorts and a top. The other one had long blonde curls and blue-eyes. She looked really pretty, with a cute smile on her round face. "Yeah well, Dean-o here had to finish his coffee!", Gabriel replied and went to the trunk to open it up for them. The brothers dumped their baggage before they walked towards Sam's other friends. The blonde girl immediately hugged Sam, while the redhead waved at Dean. "Hi, I'm Charlie. You must be Dean! Sam has told us a lot about you, but no worries, I won't tell!", She said , winking at Dean. He immediately liked her easy-going attitude and grinned in return. "Ah ,yeah, well. You must have it bad enough to be friends with my brother. If he has your souls or something, I wouldn't be surprised." Charlie laughed and shrugged. Before she could say something, the blonde girl came towards them. "Hi, Dean. It's nice to meet you. I'm Jessica, but you can call me Jess.", she introduced herself with a lovely smile. So that's the girl his brother had a crush on. _Jeez, Sammy_ . Didn't he know she is way out of his league? Dean grinned at Jess. "Nice to meet you too. Sam's told me a lot about you.", he said with a wink and caught sight of his brother blushing furiously behind Jess. _Yep_. Sammy definitely had a crush. "Yeah, yeah, it's heartwarming to see you all meeting each other but can we go now?" Of course Gabriel had to interrupt the moment. Dean sighed in irritation and looked at the others, who looked amused. "Fine, we'll get into the bus so you can shut your cakehole!", Charlie replied and stuck out her tongue at Gabriel,which earned her even more bonus points in Dean's eyes. 

Together the five of them entered the bus and with a "Let's go!" from Gabriel they hit the road.

* * *

He discovered that Charlie was studying Engineering while Jess studied law just like Sam, which was no surprise to him. That girl could go big. But yet he mainly talked to Charlie since the two lovebirds were mainly focused on each other. During the drive he found out that Charlie was a huge nerd and liked all kinds of movies, especially Star Wars, which made Dean like her even more. They were discussing the rise and fall of the Jedi when the bus suddenly stopped. “We’ve arrived safe and sound kiddos!”, Gabriel shouted into the back and jumped out. The others followed him shortly after in excitement. While Dean picked up his duffle bag he looked around. They parked on an empty road in a forest full of conifers. He didn’t see much but he heard the sea. At least of what he thinks the sea sounded like. 

When they were all ready, the four young people followed Gabriel along a small path that led them out of the forest and onto the dunes. The sight stole Dean’s breath. White beach stretched out as far as he could see. The sea was green-blue and waves crashed to the shore. A strong wind blew into their faces, cooling the heat from the sun. And on top of the dunes, surrounded by a few pine trees there was a house. It was a fairly old one, in white, decorated in a lot of details. He could see a huge terrace with a view at the sea and immediately knew he’ll be sitting on there all day, just watching the waves. “C’mon, kiddos!”, Gabriel called and Dean saw he wasn’t the only one that stopped, watching their surroundings in amazement. A laugh was bubbling in his throat and rose to the surface and he beamed at Sammy as they started walking towards the house. 

This vacation couldn’t be more amazing. Seriously.

When they stepped on the terrace, Gabriel knocked on the door instead of taking out keys. After the questioning looks he got from the others he rolled his eyes. “Well, my baby bro basically lives here. So I figured I’d give him a heads up!”, he explained and Dean raised his eyebrows and glanced at Sammy who looked just as confused. The younger Winchester cleared his throat. “Um, Gabe, did you tell him we were coming?”, he asked and Gabriel just shrugged, smiling wickedly. Dean sighed and shook his head. If that brother is a younger version of Gabriel and now pissed - he really wasn’t looking forward to it. Gabriel knocked again and they could hear a grumbling voice saying: “I’m coming.”. Soon after the door opened and a taller guy with dark hair and broad shoulders stepped out. Once he saw Gabriel he glared at his older brother. “What are you doing here, Gabriel?”, he growled in a deep voice Dean hasn’t heard like before. “Oh well, Cassie, I thought I’m gonna take a little trip with my friends! Now let us in!”,Gabriel replied nonchalantly and pat his brother on the shoulder which earned him another glare. “Cassie” stood with his back to Dean, so he couldn’t see his face, but he saw his shoulders sag in defeat. “Fine.”, Gabriel’s brother grumbled and stepped aside to let Gabriel in, who let out a loud “wohoo!” and stormed in. 

“We’re deeply sorry for coming unannounced.”, Jess started to say and reached out a hand. Now the guy turned and Dean was able to see his face clearly now. He had a strong jawline, messy dark hair and a stubble. And his eyes. They were bright blue, matching the sky. Dean swallowed hard, suddenly feeling goose bumps over his forearms. The guy looked at Jess and his frown softened. “You are not responsible for my brother’s mistakes.”, he said in that graty voice of his and shook Jess’ hand. “I’m Castiel.”

 _Castiel?_ What a strange name. Charlie stepped forward and grinned at him. “Hey! Nice to meet you! I’m Charlie!”, she said and pointed at the brothers. “The tall one is Sam and the shorter-” - “ _Hey!_ ”- “-one is Dean. They’re from America!”, she explained and now Castiel’s gaze fell on the brothers. When their eyes met, Dean’s mouth went dry. How could one’s eyes be _this_ blue? Castiel stared at him, face unreadable. And Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away, something about him captivated him. When he heard Sam clearing his throat though, he finally awoke and blinked a little, looking to the ground. Charlie and Jess already entered the house and he could hear them laughing with Gabriel. “Well, Castiel, it’s nice to meet you.”, Sam said, being the more diplomatic one of the two brothers. Dean looked up to see that Castiel only just now tore his gaze from Dean and faced Sam. “Hello, Sam and Dean.”, he said and nodded inside. “Apparently my brother has already made himself comfortable here. I suggest you two better go in and find your rooms before Gabriel makes a mess of them.”, he muttered, frowning. Dean hadn’t said anything yet but now he chuckled. Castiel’s eyes fell on him again and Dean’s words suddenly stumbled in his throat. “Well, that sounds like Gabriel. I mean I have only met him today, but I can imagine he’s gonna leave the whole house in a wreck.”, he said and pat Sam on the back. “C’mon, Sammy, let’s go.”   
Well, that wasn’t bad. Dean exhaled a breath and avoided Castiel’s eyes while entering the house.

He heard Sam say something to that guy but he was already captivated by the interior. The house was big. It looked much smaller from the outside than it actually was. The whole place was clad in birch wood and white walls, giving it a sense of free space. The bottom floor was an entire room. Kitchen, dining room and living room all together. Huge windows were on one side of the house, giving away the view to the sea and the terrace. Two couches and a smaller table were spread before the windows. The other half of the room was reserved for eating, Dean could see a big table and a huge kitchen. In the middle of the room, at the wall opposite to him, a staircase led to the upper floor. 

Damn. How much money did Gabriel have? This looks like a place out of Architectural’s Digest!   
Dean followed the sound of laughter which was coming from the upper floor and met Charlie and Jess who were playing hide and seek with Gabriel. He had to smile at the airy, bubbly atmosphere and decided that, no matter how weird Gabriel’s brother and Gabriel himself is, he’d make the best out of his vacation. It was the sea after all.   
And if its color reminded him of someone’s eyes - well, Dean was determined to forget that.


	3. Seashells and unspoken Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beware, its a long chapter! I just couldn't stop writing the interactions between our two main protagonists!  
> (almost wrote pain instead of main, because honestly this is all supernatural is about, am I right?)

“Come on, Dean!”, he heard Sam shout and wrinkled his nose. “Shut your cakehole, Sammy!”, he retorted and took another step into the cold waves. The wet sand beneath his bare feet felt weird, slimy, muddy and he didn’t like the feeling. After arriving yesterday, the friends decided to swim in the sea once they’d finished breakfast. It would be the first time for Dean and that’s saying something. But he didn’t expect the water to be this cold. The waves splashed around his legs and he shuddered once more. The others were already deep in the water, laughing and shouting. Gabriel was diving beneath the surface and sometimes Dean could hear one of the girls shriek and giggle as Gabriel tickled them sneakily. The beach was empty, since it was the family’s private ground as Gabe had explained to them the night before. So at least Dean didn’t have that many spectators laughing at how he was still struggling to get into the waters. The sun was burning his back and he sighed. After gathering up all the courage he could find, he jumped into the waves. 

His whole body went rigid as he hit the cold salty water and immediately he shot up, gasping for air. “Finally!”, Dean heard Charlie say from further away and the others immediately cheered and clasped. Although his pride was a bit hurt, he couldn’t stop the grin that was spreading to both cheeks. “You’ll regret that now!”, he shouted back in mischief and dove into the waves again, swimming towards his friends. Now that he was completely drenched, it wasn’t that bad - actually the cold was quite welcoming after the heat of the sun. He decided that he really liked the feeling of the flowing and moving water against his body. The ocean carried his weight and it felt comforting. After a few powerful strokes Dean reached his friends and splashed them all in revenge. Sam looked like a wet puppy with all his long hair and not only once Dean had teased him about it which earned him a few splashes in return. The grin wouldn’t disappear from his face as he spent the next hours with his friends in the sea, playing around and laughing. When the sun went down the group decided to head back to the house and make themselves some dinner which Dean’s grumbling stomach was very grateful for. 

After they’d all dried up and showered off the sand from the beach, Sam and Jess prepared a dinner for their friends. The food was delicious and Dean didn’t stop himself from reaching for a second portion. Despite having fun with Sam and his friends all day he couldn’t help but think of another presence ever since they’ve returned to the house. He hasn’t seen Gabriel’s weird little brother since their arrival and wondered where he’s disappeared to. _Probably locked up in his room and sulking_ , Dean thought and shrugged internally. But still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for Castiel. It must’ve been pretty weird when suddenly a few strangers showed up in his house. “So, Dean, you gotta tell me everything about the new Star Wars movie!”, Charlie interrupted his thoughts and he turned to her. She’d been nagging him about it the whole day ever since Dean mentioned that he’d already watched the newest release. By then they’d already moved onto the couches, drinking beer and enjoying the view of the ocean. Quickly forgetting all thoughts of Castiel, he happily chatted with Charlie about their common passion. Gabriel joined in and soon after the three of them found themselves talking about Luke, Han Solo, Darth Vader and all the other characters, trying to rank them from best to worst. 

* * *

It was late in the night when slowly one after another decided to head to bed, yawning, drooping eyelids and all. Dean wasn’t tired though and decided to stay downstairs, even though Sammy has been trying to convince him otherwise, blabbering something about jet lags and so on. But the whole day had given him sort of an endorphin or adrenaline rush - whatever he’d call it - and he felt the energy pulsing through his veins. He still could hear some mutters and talking from upstairs as he got himself another beer and opened the door to the terrace. A soft, cool breeze welcomed him as he stepped outside and sat down on a wooden bench, watching the ocean. In that moment he felt a strange sense of peace he hadn’t felt in a long time. The waves crashed on the shore and some birds chirped some strange song. The air was fresh and salty, clearing his lungs. Lost in his thoughts Dean just sat there, sipping on his cold beer and just watching the dark water from afar. So much has happened within the past few days that he still was trying to process. Suddenly he heard the door behind him click and his head snapped around. 

A tall man with messy, dark hair clad in a simple white shirt and blue jeans stood in the doorframe and Dean frowned. _Did that son of bitch have to interrupt his peace now?_ “Hey, Castiel.”, he greeted him nonchalantly and turned back to the sea, taking another sip of his beer. He’d heard some rustling and Castiel stepped into his view. He raised his head with a raised eyebrow, expecting the other man to just ignore him. But instead he met Castiel’s gaze. His irritatingly blue eyes, now darker due to the dim light of the moon, were looking at him in curiosity. “Hello, Dean.”, the other man replied in his gravelly voice. “I believe we’ve been on the wrong foot.” Castiel’s eyes were still on him and Dean swallowed. Somehow he couldn’t dart his own eyes away from this deep blue. Slowly he nodded, cursing himself for the irritating reaction he had on this strange man. “Yeah, you bet.”, Dean said evenly. Castiel tilted his head with a slight smile. “May I sit?”, he asked and pointed to the empty space on the bench. “Sure, man.”, Dean replied with a shrug, deciding that this night couldn’t get weirder anyway. He released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding as Castiel sat down beside him. “I want to apologize for my rude behavior.”, he said in a serious tone and looked straight at Dean. There was a slight accent in his voice and Dean wondered what it was. He didn’t really know what to say to that so he just chuckled nervously. “Don’t sweat it, man. I mean, we’re the ones intruding your home, so it should actually be me who’s apologizing. Well, actually, its that stupid brother of yours.”, he replied and mentally kicked himself for blabbering. He saw something like humor flicker in these blue eyes and saw the other man smile slightly. “Actually, yes, I still blame Gabriel for all of it. But that doesn’t excuse my rudeness to all of you.”, Castiel said and looked at the sea. Dean had to suppress a smile. Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad. 

For a while they watched the dark waves crashing on the shore in comfortable silence. Dean couldn’t stop thinking about their previous short conversation and something inside him was curious about the guy sitting next to him. After a while Dean cleared his throat and turned to Castiel. “So, Cas. What’s the deal with this house? Your brother hasn’t really said anything about it yet.”, he asked, watching the other’s reaction closely. He noticed how Castiel’s body froze and a frown wiped off the solemn look on his pretty face. “It is complicated.”, Castiel muttered. “Hey, you don’t have to answer that. That was a stupid question anyway.”, Dean immediately replied, feeling a bit guilty though he couldn’t exactly why. He didn’t even know the dude. “No, it’s alright, Dean. I understand why Gabriel hasn’t said anything. My family is not exactly something we are proud of.”, Castiel replied and turned to Dean, looking at him intently with a tint of sadness in his eyes. “My family is among the higher political ranks in the GDR. We moved here from Russia when I was a small child.”, he began and Dean nodded slowly. So that’s where his strange yet not unpleasant accent came from. Castiel didn’t lift his gaze from Dean and continued. “The reason my siblings and I speak English so well - My parents insisted we learn the language in order to become successful politicians.”. He furrowed his eyebrows as if he internally cringed at the thought. Dean couldn’t blame him. His family didn’t sound exactly like a perfect apple-pie family. “This house is actually theirs. They bought it for vacation but during my childhood it usually stood empty. After I graduated I decided to move in and live here. My parents weren’t exactly happy with it but decided to leave me alone.”, Castiel finished and Dean could see the tension falling from his shoulders. “Sucks, dude. But you made something really nice out of the place.”, Dean said, pointing at the terrace and the beautiful view to the sea. Cas began to smile and nodded. The moonlight was reflected in his eyes and made them shimmer. ”Yes. I like it here. It’s quiet.”, he only said. Not exactly knowing what to say to that, Dean just nodded and returned the smile, not tearing his gaze away from the silvery- blue eyes. He didn’t know how long they’ve been looking at each other when Cas turned and looked back to the sea, still with a smile on his face. 

“How come you’re here, Dean?”, he asked then, leaning back on the bench. Dean followed his example and leaned back too, looking up at the starry sky which didn’t look that different from the one in the States. “Well, there’s Sammy, my little brother. He hates being called Sammy but I’ve called him that ever since.” He heard Cas chuckle. “I suppose that is an older brother thing.”, the lean man mused and Dean started to grin. “Yeah, well he might be taller than I but I still remember the times I changed his diapers and fed him some Lucky Charms.”, Dean continued. “What about your parents?”, Cas asked curiously and Dean felt a heavy weight on his heart. He closed his eyes and breathed out. “My mum died when I was four. It was a fire and dad barely got me ’n Sammy out. Although I don’t remember much I miss her. She used to say angels were watching over me. Baked me all sorts of pies when dad was working.”, Dean murmured and straightened himself with a sigh. When he opened his eyes he saw Cas looking at him with a strange look on his face. It wasn’t exactly pity and Dean was grateful for that. He’d heard too many people saying “I’m sorry for your loss” in his life. He cleared his throat and darted his eyes away. The sound of the waves took a bit of the weight in his heart away. “Well, Dad’s been taking care of us ever since. We moved around a lot due to his work but at least we had a roof over our head. Although the summers at Bobby’s up in South Dakota were the best.”, he said with a shrug, forcing himself to smile. He didn’t want to ruin the mood, so he continued on. “Bobby’s a friend of my dad, practically family by now. He’s quite a grumpy guy who says ‘balls’ a lot, but he took care of me and Sammy more than once. And he taught me all about cars. Thanks to him Sammy was able to go to college and get this scholarship that got him here. I’m just here for a visit. Usually I fix cars back at Bobbys.”, Dean finished and smiled. He was so proud of his younger brother. Though he’d never tell him that or else Sam would never let it down. But Dean was glad he’d made himself a future and found some friends here. He knew Sam will be alright and that thought gave him immense joy. 

* * *

Cas had silently listened to him all the time, watching him intently which made Dean somehow nervous. “Sam can consider himself lucky to have a brother like you.”, he earnestly said with a soft look in his eyes and Dean’s mouth went dry.   
“Uh, yeah. Well. That’s what brothers do, don’t they?”, Dean replied awkwardly and took another sip from his beer only to notice that it was already empty. Cas apparently noticed it because he stood up and straightened his shirt. “After this talk we deserve a drink, don’t you think?”, he said lightly and Dean’s heart jumped in glee. “Sure! You got a collection?” Cas’ eyes flickered with amusement and he nodded. “As matter of fact I actually do. Let me show you.”, he just said and opened the terrace door, tilting his head. Dean chuckled, stood up and followed Cas in. The house was barely lit and in the spare light Cas led him upstairs to a room at the end of the hallway. When he opened the door he turned on the light and Dean immediately had to blink at the brightness. After his eyes adjusted and he could see around, his jaw went slack. 

“Dude, this is _your_ room?”, he asked in amazement and Cas just shrugged. “Yes, Dean.”, the darkhaired just replied and went to a small cabinet. Next to it stood a huge desk accompanied by shelves lining on the wall. While Cas prepared a drink Dean took the time to look around even more. The wall opposite of the door was completely torn out and replaced with windows. The light from the room was reflected in the glass so he couldn’t exactly see what the view was, but Dean was pretty sure it was the sea. Just like himself, Cas apparently had a fascination with it. The only wall that wasn’t completely covered in shelves (and one wardrobe) was white and and stacked with a few paintings. Dean didn’t care much for art but he noticed a small chain of seashells among it and Dean wondered if Cas made it himself. Right next to Dean a king-sized bed was placed facing the window frame with a small photo frame hanging over it. The whole place was bright and spacey without being too impersonal. There were small things that reminded Dean that a certain man with unnatural blue eyes was living in it. The mess on the desk. The few clothes scattered on the wooden floor. The unmade bed. Small things from the beach. The photo over the bed. 

Before Dean could take a closer look, he heard Cas behind him closing the cabinet doors. “My siblings.”, he heard him say and turned around. “It’s the only photo I have of them.”, Cas continued and handed Dean a glass with a golden liquid. “Is whiskey alright? I don’t really have anything else -”, he tried to apologize but Dean interrupted him, taking the glass quickly. “Dude, I love whiskey!”,he said with a smile. “And your room is awesome! Did you move it all in by yourself?” Cas shook his head with a slight smile. “Most of the things were already here when I moved in. Apart from the books of course.”, he replied and took a sip. Dean chuckled, taking a sip himself. The whiskey burned in his throat in a familiar way and he could taste an unmistakable tang of the sea mingling beautifully with peat smoke. His eyes widened and he met Cas’ curious gaze. “That’s some good stuff.”, he said and took another sip. “A friend of mine has some connections.”, Cas just replied with a smile. “You want to go to the beach? I always find it calming to take a walk in the night.”, he asked and Dean nodded enthusiastically. “Sure!”  
  


The duo left the house as quietly as they could and as they went out to the terrace again, Cas stopped. “Wait, I forgot something.”, he just said and vanished back into the dark house. As soon as Dean was alone he walked towards the railing and put his elbows on it. The salty scent of the sea filled his lungs and cleared his mind a bit. Cas was pretty alright, he thought. Actually, more than that. Before their meeting on the terrace, Dean had thought Cas was some cranky, arrogant guy with a stick in his ass. But the other man had proved him otherwise. He couldn’t really grasp what had happened but something told him he could trust this guy. So far Dean actually liked him the most from the people he’d met here apart from Charlie. He was sort of awkward, but somehow his rusty social skills made him even more bearable. Dean was fed up with people trying to talk around the bush and Cas was refreshingly different. 

* * *

A few minutes passed and as soon as Dean heard the click of the door he turned around and grinned at the sight. “Okay, that is pretty cool of you.”, he admitted and pointed to the bottle of whiskey Cas held in one of his hands. The other man just smiled mischievously and sat on the bench, putting off his shoes. _Does this guy only have good ideas?_ , Dean thought and followed his example. Shortly after they made their way to the beach, barefooted and with a bottle of liquor. The sand was wet and cool beneath Dean’s feet as they reached the sea. Cold water flowed around their ankles as they walked along, chatting about their favorite books. Dean mostly listened to Cas ramble about Tolstoi and Dostoevsky as he hadn’t read that many books himself. In return he told Cas all about the TV shows they had back home. “Dude, you don’t know Scooby Doo?!”, he exclaimed in disbelief as Cas gave him a confused look when he started talking about his favorite childhood shows. This revelation ended in a long lecture about the famous dog and his friends to which Cas listened with great interest. Dean didn’t know how much time had passed or how long they’ve walked until they noticed the sky turning brighter and changing colors. Hues of pink and orange streaked along the blue of the night. The sea was calm and glittered in all colors as the sun rose up. The two men sat down on the sand, watching the sunrise and sharing the bottle of whiskey in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Dean was once again mesmerized by the view, feeling an utter sense of hope and peace. And that Cas was sitting next to him in the sand, not caring whether his clothes would get dirty or that he’d get too cold - well, that made it even more memorable. 

As the sun got higher the heat increased. They decided to head back to the house. When the duo arrived they were already drenched in sweat and the bottle of whisky was empty. Dean felt a little drowsy and was pretty sure Cas felt the same, seeing as he stumbled over the stairs up to the terrace. The dark haired fumbled with the door without caring for his shoes and Dean followed him in. Only then they noticed three pairs of eyes staring at them in surprise. “Hey guys!”, Dean waved at them with a wide grin and out of the corner of his view he saw Cas stiffen. Ah yeah. That guy didn’t get along with people. Dean put a hand on Cas’ back and felt the muscles relax. Thankfully it was only Sam, Charlie and Jess. He didn’t really want to have to put up with Gabriel right now. The older Novak was probably still fast asleep. “Dean, where have you been? It’s almost 11 am!”, Sam asked with exasperation in his voice and Dean rolled his eyes. “Dude, I’m old enough to take a walk alone.”, he replied and rubbed his head. Next to him he felt the other man standing around a bit awkwardly. That reminded him that he still had his hand on Cas’ back and quickly removed it, clearing his throat. “Look, I’m tired and I’m gonna take a nap. Don’t you dare wake me up or else I’ll tell Jess here about all the times you whined about a haircut!”, he threatened and saw a small blush creeping up Sam’s neck, while Jess giggled. Charlie hadn’t said anything so far and only smiled during the conversation. When Dean caught her eye, she winked. “Go to bed, Dean. I’ll handle these two.”, the redhead said and Dean shot her a quick thankful grin, before he and Cas finally made their way upstairs, ignoring the hushed whispers down below.   
  


“Well. It was nice meeting you, Dean.”, Cas said as they stood before Dean and Sam’s room which was next to Cas’. Dean shot him a smile. “Yeah, you too.”, he replied and held Cas’ gaze. The silence that followed was neither awkward nor really comfortable. Dean took a breath and nodded. “See you then, Cas.”, he finally said, craving his soft bed. The tiredness weighed heavy in his bones now that the magic spell of the night has faded out. He saw a flicker of something in Cas’ eyes before the other man nodded and turned to open his door. Dean had just pushed down the handle as he heard the now familiar gravelly voice say: “I take these walks every night. I’ll see you around, Dean.”. A soft click later and Cas had disappeared into his room.

Dean couldn’t help but smile at the unspoken promise. The older Winchester entered his room right away and fell straight into bed, sighing at the feel of the soft mattress beneath him. Within a matter of seconds he fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of stars and waves and the color blue, tinted with pink and orange.


End file.
